Westwood South of

Santa
Monica Blvd.

Homeowners Association

Transportation & Traffic

WESTSIDE MOBILITY STUDY wants your input:

Three community meetings were held in early October 2012 to give feedback on the work being done for the Westside Mobility Study. If you were not able to attend one of these meetings, you are invited to view the presentation given and to see the slides that were on display so that you can submit COMMENTS to the project.

The feedback survey can be linked from the project website or go to: http://www.westsidemobilityplan.com/public-outreach/community-feedback-survey/

CONFIRM YOUR SPOT ON UPCOMING SPECIAL GUIDED TOURS OF THE EXPO LINE TO BE GIVEN FOR WSSM MEMBERS!

We had a great turnout for the two tours offered in July on the 18th and 22nd. As a result, we will present one or two additional tour groups before the end of the year. Send us an email to tell us if you can attend a weekday morning tour (10am) or a Saturday or Sunday morning tour (10:30 am)staring at the Venice/Roberson Culver City EXPO LINE station. We will take EXPO downtown stopping along the way to admire station artwork. We will connect with the Red Line downtown adn go to Union Station.

We will meet at the Venice/Robertson station entrance (you can park in the surface parking lot at the station).

LA CITY invites all to participate in discussions to

address our transportation challenges.

Give your input in one of two ways:

1) Town Hall: Ideas.LA2B.org

2) Idea Line: 213 935-0385

Metro Board vote on Subway EIR held

Westside Extension route approved to

Brentwood VA with Century City Constellation

Station stop.

WSSM Supports the Century City Constellation Stop

The METRO Board voted to approve the Westside Extension EIR and to approve construction of the subway from its western terminus to LaCienega Blvd. Recognizing the controversy over the location of the Century City station, the METRO Board continued discussion on the topic and scheduled time for Beverly Hills representatives to make a presentation. Following that presentation, the Board voted to approve the route to its western terminus at the Brentwood VA. The line includes a Century City station at Constellation Avenue and Avenue o f the Stars..

WSSM supports the Constellation
Station as the best location for a subway stop in Century City. By
locating the stop in the heart of Century City, ridership will be
maximized thus resulting in the removal of many single driver vehicles
destined for Century City that currently plague our streets.

METRO Board meetings are held downtown at the METRO headquarters
building: 1 Gateway Plaza, LA 90012. The building is adjacent to and
northeast of Union Station.

What: Overhead utility lines to be placed undergroundWhen: Weekdays, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and 9:00 pm to 6:00 am, with intermit-tent weekend work occurring Friday night at 9:00 pm until Monday at 6:00 am.Where: Sepulveda Bl between Mountaingate Dr and the area located approxi-mately 500 feet north of Skirball Center Dr.What to expect: Sepulveda Bl will be reduced to one lane in each direction during work hours. Sepulveda Bl will be fully open during non-work hours. Emergency vehicle access will be maintained. This work will be performed by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Please note that the work is weather permitting and subject to change. For a listing of daily closures and latest updates visit our website at www.metro.net/405 orfollow us on twitter: twitter.com/I_405 and Facebook

alternatives for connecting current and
future light rail lines to LAX?

Should the Green Line and/or the
Crenshaw line go direcdtly into (or

under) the airport? Check out
Metro's website where they

discuss extensions to LAX at:

http://www.metro.net/projects/lax-extension/

You can fink a link on that page to a comment page. Weigh in with your

input!

APRON PARKING

The Los Angeles City Council approved a motion on October 12, 2011,suspending enforcement of LAMC Section 80.53. While Section 80.53 is
suspended, an owner or lessee may park on the apron. Vehicles may not touchor enter onto the sidewalk. Originally DOT would not allow vehicles to project into the street as this was a violation of California Vehicle Code. However, thecity is now allowing vehicles to project into the street so long as they do not do soany further than a car that would be parked at the curb. HOWEVER, vehicles that project into the street MUST comply with street cleaning restrictions. This means that a vehicle sticking out into the street on the day of that street's sweeping, will be ticketed for a street sweeping violation if not off of the street.

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Big Blue Bus Offers Subsidy Coupons for Eligible Travelers

A new program has been launched to offer eligible travelers subsidy
coupons

for purchases of daily, weekly, or monthly passes for Big Blue
Bus travel.

In a preferential parking district, restrictions apply to all motorists,but area residents and their guests are exempt from the special parking
restrictions if they purchase and display Preferential Parking Permits.

If you live in a Preferential Parking District, or you have visitedsomeone who does, you may be aware of the three different types of
permits - annual, visitor, and guest. Traditionally, you were only able
to purchase a guest permit at a Parking Violations Bureau Public ServiceCenter, or through the mail. Unlike a visitor's pass or annual pass,guest passes are usually needed on a moment's notice or used often
enough that multiple trips to the service center are necessary and provequite frustrating. Now, residents are able to purchase guest passesonline and print them out at home, instead of visiting one of theservice centers.

This is very helpful and will relieve a lot of frustration for residentsnot only of the Fifth Council District, but also throughout the city.Councilmember Koretz helped fight for this change and will continue to
look for more improvements to this program to help the residents of hisdistrict and the city. Preferential parking services should be easilyavailable to the customers it serves - the residents of Los Angeles.

Beginning in mid-June 2010, commuters in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties will be able to get 24-hour on-demand updates on traffic, public transit and carpool connections by dialing 511 or visiting GO511.com. The map on GO511.com will include a real-time map with traffic conditions.

Radio station 1610 am is planning to provide timely traffic information.

Future improvements to traffic reporting will include accessibility from mobile devices and Spanish language information. The traffic data is being generated by LA SAFE-- the Los Angeles County Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies, in conjunction with METRO, the California Highway Patrol, Caltrans and other transportation agencies.

For freeway conditions including live coverage from freeway-based cameras,you may wish to visit: www.sigalert.com.

Work on the 405 project to add a high occupancy vehicle lane (HOV) from the10 freeway to the 101 freeway continues. Bridge re-construction at Sunset,Skirball and Mulholland is underway to prepare for the widening of the freeway.New on and off-ramps at the Wilshire Blvd. interchange will result in each of thevarious on and off ramps to be closed entirely for a number of weeks beginning in early 2012. When exact dates are known, we will post them on this website. While nearby on and off-ramps at Sunset and Santa Monica Blvd. will remain open, they will experience significant traffic increases as vehicles that normally use Wilshire will be looking for alternate routes to access the 405. Plans for traffic control officers to work nearby intersections to assist in the transition to these long-term detours are being made.

Currently, one lane of Wilshire and a lane on Sepulveda are
closed for

construction.Various
closures in our area will continue as utilities are

being relocated, and sound
walls are removed.Overnight freeway
closures

are possible.

Various closures in our area continue as utilities are being relocated. To keepinformed you can sign up to receive notifications directly from the project or you may visit the project website for the latest project updates:

The City Planning Commission held a hearing on April 28 with continued consideration at its meeting on May 12th on the
Planning Dept. proposal to establish new Modified Parking Requirement
Districts.A recently issued set of
staff recommendations shows that many of the comments and concerns raised by
the community at the staff hearing have been ignored.

WSSM reviewed the staff recommendations and recommended
changes in the proposed ordinance to provide protections for the community and
to require that actual findings be required in order to implement the tools
provided. If passed as currently proposed, the burden will be on communities to
fight against proposed districts if they are inappropriate.We are concerned that parking protections now
available in residential communities, particularly on streets adjacent to
commercial corridors, will be compromised thus threatening not only our ability
to park on our streets, but our quality of life and the character of the
community. We encourage thoughtful
discussion of creative shared-parking solutions and believe that any new policy
must be a balanced approach. Following the May 12 hearing, changes were made to the ordinance. Some of our concerns were addressed and there remain a couple of important issues that are still pending. Watch this site for more info and future hearing dates.

The EXPO Line from downtown Los Angeles to the LaCienega/Jeffereson station opened to passengers the last weekend of April. The last stop on Phase I,and expect to be completed in the coming two months. Robertson/Venice and the Farmdale stations are still under construction.

TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT!

PHASE 2 Construction underway

On Friday, March 26th, the EXPO Authority Board voted to award the contract for Phase II construction clearing the way for engineering and construction work to proceed west from Robertson Blvd. They also voted to approve the
removal of parking adjacent to the tracks between Overland and
Westwood. This means that Westwood station riders will come on foot, by bike or public transit or it will be used as a "kiss and ride" station. Those seeking to "park and ride" will not drive to the station. This opens the door to local planning for uses of the wide strip of land north and south of the tracks that will benefit and enrich the quality of life in the area. Already there are individuals talking about developing open space park-type uses, a great improvement over long rows of parked cars and drivers circling the neighborhood to use them!

The EXPO Board also voted to approve the elevated grade separation over Sepulveda
Blvd. pending the provision of funds to do so from other sources. Councilmembers Koretz (CD 5) and Rosendahl (CD 11) are working to identify funds for this purpose. The
grade separation became a more feasible alternative to a grade-level
crossing when it was learned that only a $5 million difference in cost
existed between an at-grade crossing and an elevated one due to costly utility relocations required for the at-grade crossing. That, the proximity of the
crossing to Pico, and the fact that Sepulveda is a designated freeway
alternate route, likely were key reasons for the vote in favor of grade
separation.

You can sign up to receive traffic updates via email or can visit the website that has those postings of closures, etc. at:

http://www.buildexpo.org/

A photo montage of old Pacific Electric Santa Monica Air Line along with construction photos from Phase I of the EXPO line that will go from downtown LA to Culver City (Venice/Robertson intersection) can be found at LA Curbed's posting.

Phase II of the EXPO line will continue from Robertson/Venice Blvds. to Santa Monica, following the Pacific Electric railway right-of-way primarily along Exposition Blvd. and ending in the Sear's automotive parking lot at Colorado and 4th Street in Santa Monica. A video has been made of the route the Phase II will follow. It can be viewed from by clicking here.

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EXPO PHASE 2 Design Meetings

A citizen design review committee has been named to provide input and consultation on the design elements for Phase II. Two residents of the area near the Westwood station have been named to that panel. They are Sarah Hayes, Co-Chair of Light Rail for Cheviot and Drew DAscentis, President of Westwood Gardens Civic Association which borders the line.

WSSM sponsored three tours of the EXPO Line Phase I and three tours of the Metro Gold Line so that local residents can ride on LA's latest fixed rail public transit line to get a feeling for what the EXPO line in our area will be like. Participants in the recent tours were able to get off and on at various stations to observe how the auto crossings operate, to experience the sounds and impacts on nearby properties. Those participating in a tour receive free one-day passes to journey throughout METRO's transit network after the tour has ended. Tours last for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. We think it is important that as many residents as possible become familiar with the Gold Line so that when there are local discussions about the design of the Westwood and Sepulveda Blvd. stations, we have a well-versed group of residents who can contribute to that process.

If you would like to participate in a future tour of the EXPO and RED LINES with your WSSM neighbors, please contact us: wssmhoa@gmail.com. Let us know if you can participate in a weekday morning tour, a Saturday morning tour and/or a Sunday morning tour.

The METRO board approved the staff recommendation for the subway extension west to the VA as the Locally Preferred Alternative at their board meeting on Oct. 28th. The subway project reached a major milestone in the steps to extend the subway from its western terminus at Wilshire and Western in January when METRO learned that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) had approved the Westside Subway Extension and the downtown Regional Connector for entry into prelminary engineers (PE). This notification means that both of these projects will most likely be accepted into the federal New Starts funding program. METRO staff are now working on the FEIR.
The FEIR will include responses to comments made on the DEIR.

Some of the voter-approved Measure R funds are earmarked for the subway extension. Adoption of the 30/10 funding initiative will significantly increase the funds available to construct the next phase of the subway and instead of completing the buildout to Westwood in 30 years, we might see our area reached within the coming 10 years!

As currently proposed, the Westside Extension will include stops in Beverly Hills, a stop in Century City and a stop in Westwood. It is projected to end in Brentwood at the VA. The formal recommendation for the Century City stop is at Constellation and Avenue of the Stars although this is raising opposition from some in Beverly Hills who do not want the subway passing beneath the campus of Beverly Hills High School. The Century City Chamber favors the Constellation stop as do most local westside homeowner groups, including WSSM. However, the Beverly Hills Unified School District and BH residents have voiced concerns over having the subway go beneath BHHS campus.

The WSSM Board supports the Constellation station. A Constellation stop will better serve both the employees in Century City and the residents because a larger number of riders will fall within a half mile circle of the station. At Santa Monica Blvd., a large area adjacent to the station will consist of the LA Country Club golf course which brings no ridership. Further, construction of the subway station at Constellation will be far less intrusive and will have far fewer negative impacts on traffic than construction of a station on Santa Monica Blvd. Santa Monica Blvd. is a major arterial in the region, whereas Constellation is a local Century City street that begins and ends in Century City. Its closure will not result in major traffic impacts while the station is being built from the surface. (Subway tunnels are built with tunneling machines and do not require access from the surface. However, subway stations are built from above and street construction is involved.)

Metro has formed station advisory committees that have begun to meet and consider issues related to the individual subway stations. The public is invited to attend the meetings of these groups and to observe (not participate in) their proceedings.

Visit the MTA Westside Extension page for further info: http://www.metro.net/projects/westside/ and check out the links to pages related to meetings, maps, etc.

One way to reduce commuter traffic in our area is to encourage the formation
of car pools, vanpools, and use of public transit by those who work in Century City.To this end, WSSM lobbied to require the founding of a TMO in Century City
that would work to coordinate carpooling and public transit use to employers
and employees in all the Century
City buildings.The TMO has launched its computerized ride
sharing program and it is up and running for all to see:http://www.cctmo.org/

As the TMO gets established it is hoped that it will also serve as the
mechanism to organize or provide for shuttles to transport Century City
workers to and from the future EXPO station.

Metrolink approved an unlimited
weekend pass for $10 and also established a new seven-day pass. The changes go into effect July 1.

The new weekend pass will be valid from 7 p.m. Friday to midnight
Sunday and include connections to bus and rail systems throughout the
region -- excluding Amtrak -- at no additional cost. The same privileges
will be extended to monthly pass-holders.

The seven-day pass, good for consecutive days, will cost $36.75 to
$101.26 depending on the distance traveled. Officials said the pass does
not require validation.

The board of the Southern California Regional Railroad Authority,
which operates Metrolink, also approved a 10% discount for students who
buy one-way and round-trip tickets. Students will continue to receive
discounts on seven-day and monthly passes.

VISIT METROLINK's WEBSITE FOR DESTINATIONS AND SCHEDULES:

http://www.metrolinktrains.com/

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TAKE THE FLYAWAY BUS TO LAX

You don't need to drive to LAX from the Westwood area. You can take the LAX Flyaway bus that leaves from UCLA's Lot 32 in Westwood Village and get to LAX without the hassle of parking, paying for parking and leaving your car in a distant parking lot (and then having to shuttle to the airport).

Location: The LAX FlyAway bus stop is
located adjacent to Westwood Village, outside of UCLA Parking Structure
32 on the north side of Kinross Avenue, one block west of Gayley Avenue. For a map, go to:

http://www.lawa.org/popup.aspx?id=300

Bus Schedule:

Depart Westwood Bus Stop6 a.m.— 10 p.m.on the hour, every day of the week

Additional service may be provided during UCLA semester breaks and major holidays.

Buses leave between the hours of 6 am and 10 or 11 pm with service
hourly.

Travel time: Depending on traffic conditions, travel times each way can range from 25-45 minutes.

Parking and Passenger Drop-Off/Pick-Up:

Parking and Passenger Drop-Off/Pick-Up:
FlyAway users may park in marked parking spaces for up to 10 days.
These parking space are located on the first level of UCLA’s Parking
Structure #32, in the southeast corner of the structure (stalls
#32015-32039). This is the corner closest to the Westwood FlyAway bus
stop.

Passengers may also be dropped off or picked-up in the
southeast corner of the parking structure. Vehicles that
drop-off/pick-up may enter and exit without paying a fee.

Driving Directions: From Wilshire Boulevard, turn north
onto Gayley Avenue. Continue on Gayley Avenue for two blocks, and then
turn left onto Kinross Avenue. The LAX FlyAway bus stop is on the right
side of the street in front of UCLA Parking Structure 32.

*Support this local service that currently attracts 111,000 riders each year. Expected ridership to sustain the service needs to be increased so do what you can to help spread the word. Drop off your family and friends at the FLYAWAY!

For regular season events: $5 per person round trip when pre-purchased (fees may apply depending on
point of purchase), $8 per person when purchased at the lot. When
purchasing at the lot the night of the concert please bring exact change
($8) and arrive at least 20 minutes early. Passengers with
pre-purchased Park & Ride tickets will be given boarding preference.

All Park & Ride buses are
wheelchair accessible.

There is a difference in transportation
arrangements for regular season events and "leased" events. Check with
the website to confirm details.

"But what about the city that everyone immediately associates with traffic jams and car culture: Los Angeles. Incredibly, the city of angels is among the top gas misers. That’s
because residents of centrally located areas of L.A. don’t have that far
to drive to get to work or the beach. As a result, the L.A.-Long Beach
area ranks second among the cities that use the least gasoline, just 630
gallons a year per household. As for the No. 1 least driving-est city?
That honor goes to New York, where even in the unlikelihood that a
household owns a car, they probably still get to work on the subway. The
average New York household uses just 481 gallons a year to go 9,800
miles–that’s half the gas guzzling of the North Carolinian Triangle."